How to Balance your Hormones
Newsflash….you can’t. At least not with a supplement you see on TikTok, or a specific exercise. Nor can you do it through eating a specific diet, red light therapy or cutting out coffee. If you feel your hormones are out of whack, the only sensible choice is to see your primary care doctor or an Endocrinologist.
We often talk to you about cutting through the food noise that’s out there, but the hormone noise is louder than ever. The focus on menopause in recent years is very welcome, but through that has sprung up a huge number of influencers and con-artists who want you to believe you can balance your hormones with their product or method. The challenge is, we all want to feel better, to have a “fix” that is in our control. Something easy and effective. It’s just human nature. Save your money and your precious time and try not to be sucked in to the propaganda.
If you feel your hormones may be fluctuating due to perimenopause or menopause, get to your primary care doctor to have an open discussion about how you’re feeling. Here are some of the key sign’s you may be menopausal:
- Irregular menstrual cycles: changes in cycle length, heavier or lighter bleeding, skipped periods, or spotting between cycles due to inconsistent ovulation.
- Hot flashes and night sweats: sudden, intense heat sensations often accompanied by flushing, sweating, and chills, resulting from hypothalamic instability linked to estrogen decline.
- Sleep disturbances: difficulty falling or staying asleep, often secondary to night sweats, cortisol dysregulation, or low progesterone’s sedative effect.
- Mood changes: increased irritability, anxiety, low mood, or emotional volatility driven by fluctuating estrogen, serotonin, and GABA levels.
- Vaginal dryness and discomfort: thinning and reduced lubrication of the vaginal epithelium (atrophic vaginitis) due to declining estrogen.
- Decreased libido: reduced sexual desire related to lower estrogen and testosterone, plus secondary effects from fatigue, stress, or discomfort.
- Cognitive symptoms: brain fog, memory lapses, and reduced concentration due to neuroendocrine shifts and disrupted sleep.
- Weight gain or body composition changes: increased central adiposity and loss of lean mass caused by estrogen decline, insulin resistance, and lower energy expenditure.
- Joint and muscle pain: estrogen’s anti-inflammatory effects diminish, increasing joint stiffness, aches, and susceptibility to osteoarthritis.
- Breast tenderness or changes: fluctuating estrogen and progesterone can cause cyclical tenderness, swelling, or fibrocystic changes.
Dr Jen Gunter provides a great menopause resource – the Vajenda. Why not check it out if you’re looking for a terrific and pragmatic insight to supporting yourself in this season.
Big news from the FDA this week! They officially removed the black box warning from most estrogen-based hormone therapy products used for menopause.
This warning has been in place for over 20 years, based on outdated data that overstated the risks for healthy women starting HRT near menopause. The change reflects new evidence showing that, when started early, hormone therapy can be safe and effective for managing menopausal symptoms.
And it’s worth noting vaginal estrogen has long been considered safe for nearly all women, even those who can’t take systemic hormones, because it acts locally with minimal absorption.
Get Cooking!
As the season starts to get increasingly busy, meal prep can really come into its own. Not only is it more efficient, but it can help support you in making healthy choices, as you navigate the festivities. Try Tracy’s Bean and Chicken meal prep bowl or some roasted butternut soup.
Speaking of cooking and the festive season, Tracy’s cookbook “People Like Us, Make Food Like This” is a superb Christmas present. Why not get ahead with your shopping, or even gift it to yourself!
Join Tracy and Guests on Move Daily Talks
Every Saturday Tracy is joined by a special guest on her hugely successful, and informative podcast, Move Daily Talks. Here is the latest release for you to listen to, learn from and enjoy. Or watch it on YouTube.
This Weeks Workouts!
Here is your handy reminder of the current week’s workouts. All of the workouts are available either free via the YouTube channel, or are the Members Exclusive workouts, which you can access if you sign up to our Membership. Don’t forget that the workouts are released across the week and so make sure you are signed up for YouTube notifications by subscribing to the channel.
